Never Enough Architecture

Plácido González - Heritage Conservation And Contemporary Architecture: Values, Criteria, Discussion
2023-11-15 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Madrid) | Zoom Call
Through a critical heritage approach, this lecture analyzes the influence of dominant heritage discourses on both heritage conservation and contemporary architectural production, with a particular focus on where the two overlap. The conference aims to explore the heritage narratives underlying architectural design in a historical context beyond the connection to “fashions” or “trends”. The focus will be on the connection and the implications they entail, looking at architecture and heritage as a set of interests that include developers, designers, builders and users.
About Plácido
Plácido González Martínez is a renowned Doctor in Architecture and Urbanism, as well as a Distinguished Researcher ‘María Zambrano’ at the University of Seville. Currently on sabbatical leave, he has been a Professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Moreover, he holds the position of Vice-President of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS) and is the Executive Editor of the Built Heritage journal.
For over twenty years, González Martínez has dedicated his academic career to critical heritage studies in two main contexts:
In Spain (2023-2024), he is affiliated with the Department of History, Theory, and Architectural Composition at the University of Seville, funded by the EU’s Next Generation funds. His current research focuses on comparing heritage conservation between Spain and China, addressing topics such as urban regeneration and the critical study of the modern movement’s heritage.
In China (2016-2023), he was attached to the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University. During this period, he received a grant from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and led research on urban regeneration in Shanghai. He also participated in international projects, highlighting his collaboration on research concerning collective housing of the modern movement and modern industrial cities.
Earlier, in Spain (2002-2016), González Martínez worked at the University of Seville, leading research projects related to built heritage and other topics. A significant portion of his career unfolded at the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage.
Furthermore, he has been part of prominent commissions in the Spanish Ministry of Culture and has authored over 100 publications, among which stands out his book “”In Light of Hilberseimer””. He has been awarded accolades such as the prize from the XIV Biennial of Spanish Architecture 2018 and has been actively involved in meetings and conferences nationally and internationally.

Jochen Klein - Transforming Dresden's Military History
2023-11-15 17:00 - 18:00
Dive into the world of architectural innovation with Jochen Klein, the mastermind behind the transformative design of the Dresden Museum of Military History for Studio Daniel Libeskind. This isn’t just a building; it’s a statement. A striking glass shard disrupts the museum’s facade, symbolizing the chaos of war and Dresden’s rebirth. Klein’s masterclass will unravel the challenges and triumphs of converting a historic arsenal into a modern marvel, emphasizing the museum’s metamorphosis. Join us for a captivating journey that bridges past and present, architecture and history.
About Jochen
Degreed from TU Berlin 1996. As a member of Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes he received a DAAD fellowship for a Master at Pratt Institue Brooklyn NY in 1998. He studied at Columbia University NY and joined Studio Daniel Libeskind 2000-2016. He founded Jo Klein Architekten in 2016.

Konishi Gaffney - Bridging the Old and New: The Transformation Journey of an Edinburgh Church
2023-11-17 16:00 - 17:00
Kieran Gaffney will speak on behalf of Konishi Gaffney on their refurbishment, improvement, and extension of a former church in Edinburgh. Competition winning in 2017 and opened in 2022, the design reconfigured the main entrance with the insertion of a timber ‘link’ building between the church and the neighbouring office block to provide flexible workspace, a community hub and events spaces. A new triple-height, top lit atrium opens the building up visually and gives lift access to all levels. The new building was clad externally in terrazzo panels with a sculptural relief pattern developed in collaboration with an artist (Chalk Plaster).Along with the extensive use of timber in the project, significant environmental improvements were made to the existing church building including high levels of insulation, new glazing and a 24kW solar array on the building’s large south facing roof, hidden from the street.
About Kieran Gaffney
Kieran trained at Strathclyde University and University College London graduating in 1992 and 1998 respectively before qualifying as an ARB / RIBA / RIAS accredited architect in 2003. He spent the first 4 years of his life Zambia, where his parents were teaching, and then grew up in Scotland; his international outlook continued with many years working overseas; in the USA, Zimbabwe, London, Berlin and Tokyo along with a period studying in Florence.
Moving back to the UK in 2007 Kieran self-built his own family house in Portobello before setting up Konishi Gaffney Architects in 2009. Having worked on a variety of creative and artist-led projects including six years in London working with Thomas Heatherwick on public art commissions he continues to collaborate with artists and makers on projects around the fields of art, landscape & architecture.
Kieran is a Fellow of the RSA and has sat as trustee on the boards of the RIAS, the EAA (twice) and Art in Healthcare. He has been invited critic at Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Aberdeen Universities and has lectured in Brighton, London, Stuttgart and at all of the Scottish Universities.

Darius Maïkoff - Converting an Old Power Station into a Cultural Center
2023-11-20 15:00 - 16:00
By presenting GES – 2 (completed in 2021) developed with and for the VAC Foundation, we will give a testimony on how the studio sought to create a vibrant space that is both open to citizens, as an extension of the city and internationally, with an aspiration to connect people through art beyond borders. We will explore the enthralling challenge of articulating this new civic function within an existing site that carries a strong identity. During this presentation, we will also share our reflections on the significance of a space dedicated to art and culture in our contemporary world, whilst exposing the choices made to obtain an appropriate discussion between existing and new features. We will finally invite you to a journey through the careful detailing that made this place come to life.
About Darius Maïkoff
Darius Maïkoff, based in Paris, is an architect and engineer with dual French and Swiss citizenship. He earned his degrees from Politecnico University in Milan, Italy (2010) and from École Spéciale des Travaux Publics in Paris, France (2007). Before joining RPBW in 2015, Darius gained valuable experience at several architectural firms, where he worked on significant cultural projects. At RPBW, he has contributed to a range of projects, including Shard Place, a 26-story residential development adjacent to the Shard tower; Bishop Ranch, an open commercial center in San Ramon, California; and the GES 2 Cultural Foundation in Moscow.

Sara Candiracci & Dasha Moschonas - Cityscapes Reimagined: The Playful Approach to Urban Design
2023-11-21 17:00 - 18:00
Sara Candiracci and Dasha Moschonas, authors of the “Playful Cities Design Guide,” will explore the integration of play into urban design. The guide offers innovative ideas for embedding playful elements into city planning suitable for all age groups. In their masterclass, they will discuss how to incorporate play elements in urban spaces, design inclusive play areas for diverse demographics, and highlight the significance of play in skill development and fostering a connection with our environment. This session promises a deep dive into the transformative power of play in urban settings.
About Sara Candiracci and Dasha Maschonas
Sara Candiracci is an urban planning and development expert, and a social researcher, with more than two decades of experience in designing and leading programmes and projects focused on more equitable, inclusive, healthy and resilient cities. She is Arup’s Global Social Value & Equity Leader, driving the firm’s ambition to embed social value & equity knowledge and practice in all disciplines across the business, to elevate the social impact of Arup’s projects. Prior to Arup, she has worked with UN Agencies, Development Banks and NGOs, establishing and implementing urban development projects and programmes together with cities and partners in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. She holds a PhD in urban planning, with a thesis on the role of cultural heritage in place-making and sustainable development in East Africa. Examples of her work are the Proximity of Care Design Guide; the Playful Cities Design Guide: Play for Anyone, Anywhere; and the Cities Alive Publication Designing Cities that work for Women. Her work has been featured in several articles, including by dezeen, Forbes, BBC, City Monitor and Thomson Reuters.
Dasha Moschonas is a design researcher, architect, and planner, working in the intersection of social and physical dimensions of space. She is a participatory design specialist, experimenting with design processes in infrastructure and public space projects. Dasha worked across professional cultures and geographies, in Serbia, Netherlands, UK, Australia, Belgium, Indonesia and Fiji, and is able to combine theoretical and practical knowledge in bringing various stakeholders into the designing process. She completed a practice-based PhD in Architecture, in a research project on the global scale “Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments”, designing and implementing the participatory strategy for water and sanitation infrastructure. Currently, she works on projects that nurture playful and nature-positive cities.

David Engwicht - From Spaces to Places: The Art of Placemaking Unpacked
2023-11-22 10:00 - 11:00
Ever wondered, “What are the ingredients that make a vibrant public place?” In this masterclass we unpack the principles of “placemaking” – the art of turning spaces into places. I show how placemaking is a lot like homemaking and the difference between a design-centric approach and a people-centric approach. We will also explore why master-planning often results in sterile public places and the agile alternative, which delivers more dynamic and satisfying spaces. I will share how, using an agile approach, we transform entire town centres in just seven days.
About David Engwicht
David Engwicht is a sculptor, artist, master story-teller, author and world-renowed placemaker. He is the inventor of the Walking School Bus and the 7 Day Makeover in which his team work with community volunteers to transform entire town centres in just seven days. David is a TEDx presenter and popular keynote at international conferences. He has run three-day training courses for design professionals, acted as a high-level consultant on large development projects, reviewed pilot projects for the EU and authored four books on urban design and one on how to maximise your creativity.

100 Architects - Hyper-Stimulating Public Spaces
2023-11-23 13:00 - 14:00
100architects was born with the mission of improving our cities and the experience of citizens in the public realm, by providing high-quality, innovative and stimulating public spaces, inclusive & accessible to everyone.
Our architecture studio doesn’t do buildings (at least not in the conventional way). Through our experimental design approach, our work aims to transform the cityscape we know today into the hyper-stimulating one we envision tomorrow.
We specialize in public spaces & spaces for entertainment, generating innovative solutions that encourage the occurrence of joyful social dynamics.
In this Masterclass, you will get to know our design approach and methodology for turning conventional public spaces into captivating and hyper-stimulating ones.
About Marcial Jesús and Javier González
Marcial Jesús, the founding partner and CEO of 100architects, boasts over 12 years of architectural design and building experience in Asia. Before establishing 100architects in 2013, Marcial took the lead on projects as an Associate Director at BENOY (UK) and as a Senior Architect at HASSELL (AU). His international stints include roles at FUKSAS in Rome, Italy, and OMA in Rotterdam, Netherlands. A graduate from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning (FAU) of the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, he became a licensed architect in the Chilean Architects’ Association in 2011. Marcial is at the helm of the 100architects Studio in Shanghai, focusing on projects that enhance the public realm.
Javier González, Partner and Managing Design Director at 100architects, ventured to China in 2013, spearheading projects as a Project Manager at RTA-Office (Shanghai) and ADOS – Architecture & Design On Site (Shanghai). His global exposure includes roles at GENETIC DESIGN in Copenhagen, Denmark, and FabLab Tenerife & LPA in the Canary Islands, Spain. With a Master’s Degree in Advanced Architecture from IaaC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) in Barcelona, Javier specialized in Computational Design and Digital Fabrication. Since joining 100architects in 2015, he has been co-managing the studio in Shanghai alongside Marcial. Together, they drive innovation and design excellence in the architectural realm.

DOSIS - Experimenting with Engaging Architecture
2023-11-24 17:00 - 18:00
More than just construction, DOSIS employs each project as a canvas for design research and experimentation, achieving beyond the ordinary. In this lecture, dive into their unique approach, focusing on practical building technologies and sustainable practices while championing creativity.
About DOSIS
DOSISis a multidisciplinary architecture & design firm with a team formed by extraordinary architects and designers with expertise on architecture, urban design, landscape, graphic, furniture & object design, 3D modeling, digital manufacturing and virtual reality. This holistic approach to design allows the team to tackle each project from a wide range of directions to acquire the best results.
Their projects have been exhibited in London, Geneva, San Francisco, Paris, Madrid and Valencia and have been awarded with multiple international prizes and awards.
ISABEL COLLADORIBA, PhD, MArch, COAMIsabel is an architect registered in Spain and United Kingdom. She is a chartered member of RIBA. She studied Architecture at the Madrid School of Architecture (ETSAM). She holds an international PhD from the Madrid School of Architecture (ETSAM), which she obtained with her dissertation ‘Towards Weightless Architecture’. She is a passionate teacher and scholar that has lectured at prestigious universities such as the Architectural Association in London, ETSAM, and IE University among others.
IGNACIO PEYDRORIBA, PhD, SMArchS, MArch, COAMIgnacio is an architect registered in Spain and United Kingdom. He is a chartered member of RIBA. He studied Architecture at the Madrid School of Architecture (ETSAM) and at the Bartlett in London, obtained a post professional advanced master degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Fulbright scholar and an international PhD in the Madrid School of Architecture (ETSAM) with his thesis ‘Contingency in Post-Situationist Architecture’. He is a passionate teacher and scholar that has lectured at prestigious universities such as the Architectural Association in London, MIT, ETSAM, and IE University among others.

Tiffany Dahlen - MAD Architects’ vision in Adaptive Reuse and Placemaking
2023-11-28 18:00 - 19:00
MAD Architects is an international practice that seeks to connect people to nature through architecture, using organic geometry and futuristic forms to create iconic and memorable spaces for people. Through projects such as the Yuecheng Courtyard Kindergarten, MAD Architects weaves the historic with the contemporary, breathing new life into old spaces and respecting the history of the site while creating new experiences for people today.
About Tiffany Dahlen
Tiffany Dahlen is an Associate Partner at MAD Architect’s Los Angeles studio. She is a Hawaii-born architect who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and joined MAD’s Beijing headquarters in 2010 and moved to the LA office in 2021. Leading projects and competitions both in China and abroad, she has experience with large scale projects in dense urban conditions that aim to emulate MAD’s future focused design philosophy of connecting people to nature through design.
She currently leads several projects at MAD, including a mixed-use tower in Quito, Ecuador, while working to foster a sense of community and education for the young designers and architects in MAD’s worldwide offices. She has worked on several of MAD’s iconic projects including the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, Melbourne Southbank competition, Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center, Chaoyang Park Plaza in Beijing, Huangshan Mountain Village, and Xinhee Design Center in Xiamen. She has also been involved in the realization of several MAD art projects, including: “Moon Landscape” for Swarovski and the “Vertu Mobile Pavilion”.

Mingzhu Nerval - Birds singing through architecture - Integrating nature into built structures
2023-11-29 17:00 - 18:00
This presentation will cover

How plants can magnify architecture, and contribute to buildings’ environmental performance
How to keep live-green installations healthy and sustainable over time
What’s behind the scenes is the landscape industry
Mingzhu Nerval’s horticulture practices and how to bring rare species back to life
and more!

About Mingzhu Nerval
Mingzhu Nerval is a world-class art & engineering studio with offices in Shanghai, Paris and London. We are dedicated to conceiving vertical living greenery walls and artful, luxury gardens worldwide.
Mingzhu Nerval was founded in 2010 by Mingzhu Bai, a fashion designer from China, and Antoine Nerval, an agricultural engineer from France—both previously educated in fine arts. We have since expanded globally and are joined by a multi-talented team with a range of expertise from botanical horticulture, to landscape architecture to structural engineering. Our team strives to create the most beautiful, ressource-efficient vertical gardens in the world, with ever-expanding biodiversity and innovation.
Mingzhu Nerval has been working with and recommended by architects like Zaha Hadid, SWA, KPF, and contracted by clients like Apple, MGM, Dior, for high-profile projects, including multi-million-dollar commissions on three continents.
